Woman calls Police on black family for BBQing at a Lake in Oakland (Huffpost)

A white woman called the police on a black family at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, last month while they were setting up for a day at the park. Their crime, according to the unidentified woman, was grilling in one of the park’s designated barbecue zones using a charcoal grill, instead of a “non-charcoal” grill. The April 29 incident was filmed by a witness named Michelle Snider, who confronted the woman for calling the police on the family. In recent weeks, a number of incidents around the U.S. have involved white people calling the police on black people and other people of color for such activities as sitting at Starbucks, staying at an Airbnb, taking a nap and participating in a college campus tour. Police responded to the incident but did not issue any citations, according to Oakland Council member Lynette Gibson McElhaney, though the family was detained and questioned for one hour. Read more